Syntax, Discourse and Interpretation of Pronominals

Abstract

In this chapter, I present a model of the syntax-discourse interface. First, I discuss the role indices play in establishing a relevant interpretation of NPs. I show that coindexation of two NPs can either represent variable binding, or identity of guises for a given referent. Although these two interpretations are different with respect to the character of elements they apply to, they both establish a dependency relation. In the first case, it is a syntactic dependency, in the second, it is a discourse-related dependency.